Beth In Trouble
by SassyJ
Summary: Beth Green discovers her knack for getting into trouble leads somewhere entirely unexpected. Sometimes love is right there in front of you however unlikely it may seem.
1. Chapter 1

"What in god's name did you touch?" DS Stuart Turner swung round, staring in horror at the iron door illuminated by his torch. The clang as it slammed shut still reverberating around them.

PC Beth Green shivered. "I don't know..."

Stuart grabbed the handle, and attempted to force it down, then up. He put his shoulder to the door, then his whole bodyweight behind it. It made no difference, other than to bruise his shoulder. The door remained jammed shut. He shot a look at Beth's white face, about to let rip, then caught himself. They were in this mess together. Shouting at her would achieve nothing.

Beth peered at the CID officer through the gloom, her lower lip trembling. She hadn't touched anything, she could swear to it, but Stuart looked like he was fit to bust. He didn't shout at her though which was a relief.

They weren't getting out the way they had come in, that was for certain. Which left them two options the way Stuart saw it. Sit tight in that nasty damp, gloomy space, and hope that someone in the search group on the outside noticed they were missing and instituted a search; or, he shone the torch into the gloom beyond the only other exit, they could try and get themselves out of it.

The tunnel was dark, narrow and smelt appallingly of damp and unmentionable things. Beth kept up with Stuart and tried not to mind the gruesomeness of it. They reached the end and Stuart stopped. Beth tried to peer round him, "Sarge?"

"There's water here," Stuart swung the torch up, illuminating the outline of what looked like a grating above their heads, "there's the way out, but that looks deep." He illuminated the dark pool in front of them, "and the ladder is on the other side."

"Great! How deep can it be?" Beth stepped forward, eager to be free of the damp and foul smell. She took another step before Stuart could grab her, and plunged forwards.

The water was icy and her mouth opened in shock, as it closed over head, there was a thump as her head struck something. She was vaguely aware of someone calling her name as the peaceful water overwhelmed her.

# # # # #

She came to slowly. She was damp, but not as cold as she expected to be, but her head hurt. There was an unexpected warmth on the right side of her body, and there was something curiously comforting about her half-seated position, opening her eyes seemed like hard work though.

She nudged her cheek a little more comfortably against the unexpected warm patch. A hand gently cupped her chin, and pushed her head up a little.

Startled, Beth's eyes flew open, and her gaze met warm brown eyes. She was wrapped in Stuart Turner's jacket, lying in Stuart Turner's arms, and the warm patch beneath her cheek was Stuart's shoulder under his tank top and tee shirt.

Every single thought left Beth's head, except one. The curious and embarrassing thought that she wished he would kiss her.

"What happened?" her own voice surprised her, and she braced herself for one of DS Turner's famously sarcastic replies.

"You hit your head when you fell in." Stuart's tone was quiet, and not in the least aggressive, which surprised her; she imagined he would be full of his usual arrogance about her stupidity.

He held up his hand in front of her face, "how many fingers am I holding up?"

Beth blearily focused on the three fingers in front of her. "Three?" She hazarded, wondering if it was a trick question. But he seemed pleased with the answer. Her head hurt, she didn't want to work it out, just wanted Stuart to go on holding her in his arms. She closed her eyes again. That was rather strange too. It felt nice.

The loud clang from just behind her came as a surprise. It was far too much trouble to look, voices... she was lifted up and carried.

# # # # #

"I am perfectly fine." Beth assured the nurse as she dressed, she wanted to go home. Hot shower, bed, and get this ridiculous idea out of her head. _Nate, concentrate on Nate._ She liked Nate, flirting with him... that was the key... then she could get Stuart out of her head.

"On your own head be it." The triage nurse did not look pleased. But Beth didn't care about that, _hot shower and bed_. Tomorrow she would get back to her old self. The self that barely registered that Stuart Turner existed.


	2. Chapter 2

_This is completely ridiculous._ Beth slammed her locker door shut with some vehemence. Drawing curious looks from Sally and Mel.

"What's up?" Mel came over.

"Nothing." Beth hitched a shoulder in irritation, acutely aware that Mel had a look in her eyes which said that she didn't believe her for a minute. "It's Christmas..." Beth spun round, a wide smile on her face, "So who do you want to kiss under the mistletoe?"

Side-tracked, Mel thought about it. "Ben?"

"Oi!" Sally grinned "Hands off..." , "Oi!"

Mel's grin was ear to ear. "Nate and Beth... Nate and Beth."

Beth blushed "I like him."

Mel smirked "Nate then..." with a sly sideways glance at Beth.

Beth feigned outrage, "Oi!"

"Dare you to kiss him under the mistletoe then!"

"When?" Beth wasn't sure she particularly liked where this was going, but to try and back down now would be bad.

"Now seems like a good time." said Mel peering through the canteen door "he's just there." She stabbed a finger.

Beth chanced a glance, and Nate was indeed standing there. Just inside the door, under the rather ratty piece of mistletoe that some lovelorn pc had hung up hopefully.

She took a deep breath, better now than later, a golden opportunity. And prove that she'd put the other nonsense out of her head.

Mel and Sally were watching; she took another deep breath for luck, swung through the door, stepped up, flung her arms around his neck and their lips met. It was a split second before she realised that Nate had moved, and the man she was now kissing with some fervour was Stuart Turner.

Stuart's hands were on her waist, as their lips met, Beth was conscious of a feeling of belonging which simply shouldn't have been there. Confused, she took a step back. For a very long moment she gazed up into his face. "Sorry!" she mumbled.

He nodded, once, quite curtly, dismissing her. Beth would have felt rather hurt at that, but for the brief flash of something very different in the sombre dark eyes that were watching her.

Beth went bright pink and dived out of the door, acutely aware that Nate, Roger and Ben had witnessed the kiss and her confused departure. _Oh god..._ Sally and Mel were in fits of laughter. Beth smiled weakly. She had let herself in for that one.

# # # # #

Just when Beth thought it couldn't get worse, briefing was upon them. Sergeant Stone assigning duties. "Mel, Beth, Nate and Roger..." Stone looked up from his clipboard. "Assist DS Turner with Operation Badger."

Beth looked up, Stone's face wasn't giving anything away, but she could swear he'd heard about her passionate kiss with Stuart under the mistletoe.

_Shit... passionate? That wasn't passion..._ She closed her eyes for a second, she could still feel the pressure of Stuart's lips on hers. He was startled, sure, but he had responded to her. If she thought about it, her body could still remember being held in his arms. She put her hand up to touch her cheek, remembering the feel of muscular shoulder beneath the softness of his tank top; the curious feeling of disappointment when she realised that he had carried her to the waiting ambulance, and she hadn't been sufficiently awake to savour it, the other feeling of disappointment when she had to hand his jacket back. Why a pair of dark eyes were suddenly haunting her dreams, and not Nate's blue ones.

Now she was going to be working with Stuart. This seemed like a very bad idea indeed. She should be steering well clear until her mind had given up on this foolishness.

# # # # #

Fate was playing tricks on him, Stuart Turner decided. Everything he did, a certain PC Beth Green appeared in front of him like a small genie out of her bottle. Her plunge into the icy water at the factory site had started it all. He'd fished her out, wrapped her in his dry jacket and carried her back to where they were originally trapped. He sat down with Beth in his arms and waited for rescue.

The minute he sat down, he realised his tactical error. She was very nice to hold, her head heavy against his shoulder, and when she started to cuddle closer, all he could think of was that he wanted to protect her. _To have and to hold...._ _whoa... where the hell did that one come from?_ Beth was almost young enough to be his daughter _for god's sake!_ He liked polite, intelligent ladies with degrees, a few years older than himself, and he went for petite blondes in a big way, not young guileless innocents with big blue eyes who made him feel....

He slammed the door hard on that thought. She was too young, and not his type. He liked his bachelor lifestyle, his flat impressed the ladies, he didn't need the complications of a relationship with a young girl who would want it all...


	3. Chapter 3

The young woman was angry. Pacing back and forth, and Beth struggled to keep control of the conversation as the girl gesticulated wildly and her voice rose in a shout. There was something vaguely familiar about the young woman, and Beth tried to put it together as she took down the statement.

"Anything I can help with PC Green?"

Beth, closed her eyes. Now he was going to think she was a total idiot, incapable of even getting a statement from a witness.

"Anna Carlisle!" Stuart moved into the chair next to Beth, "now what can we do for you?" There was a vague hint which suggested that he didn't think there was much they could do.

Now Beth knew where she had seen the young woman. She'd been arrested for soliciting a couple of times.

"What you can do for me," the young woman jabbed a long acrylic tipped nail into the surface of the table in front of Stuart, "is catch the thieving toe rag that stole my auntie's Bertie. That's what you can do!"

"Bertie?" Stuart looked puzzled.

"A Great Dane." Anna nodded curtly.

Beth looked sideways at her Sergeant as he frowned in her direction. "I thought this was a bag snatch?"

Anna's hands were resting securely on her hips, she bent forward, her tone a snarl. "That's what I've been trying to tell PC Green-horn here, for the last half hour."

She snorted, which turned into a sniff. "I was walking Bertie on Canley Heath. He always liked Canley Heath" sniff, gulp...

Stuart shifted slightly uncomfortably on his chair, and Beth suppressed a small smile, clearly weeping women were not on DS Turner's schedule of events....

"....and he just.... keeled over..." sniff, sniff... "I couldn't carry 'im, so I hid 'im in the bushes... and I went back for a large suitcase..."

Light dawned. "So Bertie was in the suitcase." There was the merest suspicion of a tremor in Stuart's voice. Beth gritted her teeth and gripped the edge of the table.

"... and you were making your way to the station when the suitcase was snatched..." at that point Anna burst into very loud tears, and Beth rushed to mop up. Concentrating hard on the tears.

After sniffing and wailing a little more, Beth managed to usher the young woman out of the door. She turned round, and caught Stuart's eye.

Beth snorted, which was too much for Stuart's shaky grip on a serious demeanour. He pushed the door open and they virtually fell through it.

"oh mi god..." Squeaked Beth, going off into fits of laughter. Stuart slumped back against the wall and tried to get some sort of control.

"just... his face.... opening the...." he choked.

She looked at him; when he laughed, he seemed younger, more carefree. _He's got a gorgeous smile._ He finally peeled himself away from the wall, and slung a companionable arm gently round Beth's shoulders, her heart gave a funny little skip as she looked up into his face.

Stuart looked down into the large blue eyes looking up at him, conscious of a funny feeling somewhere in the region of his heart.

"I think we better go and see what the computer throws up." He said, fighting the unusual urge to kiss the young PC.

# # # # #

"Tom Marks." Beth looked up from the computer to Stuart, "he fits Anna's description, he has a record as long as your arm."

"Known associates?" Stuart was already putting on his jacket.

"Two or three, all fairly low level," said Stevie, reading over Beth's shoulder, "Sarge?" Stuart was heading for the door.

He looked back at them, "no you two stay put, I'll go and get him. This is our lead in, find me more."

Beth looked anxiously at Stevie who shrugged. "The man wants more, let's give him more."

Beth looked towards the door although Stuart had already gone, and wished she had had the moxey to follow him. There was something nagging at the back of her mind, she had a really bad feeling about this.


	4. Chapter 4

"Tom Marks. Police. Open up." Stuart banged on the roller door. The echoes faded away and there was still silence. Frustrated, he tried the small door next to the roller door.

It swung open to his touch.

Suddenly wary, Stuart hesitated before stepping into the cool dark space beyond. He peered into the gloom, _might as well make a quick sweep_, there wasn't anyone in sight, but there was an intriguing pile of boxes half covered under a tarpaulin near the back of the small factory space. He moved across the empty floor, suddenly slightly uncomfortable as his quiet footsteps echoed in the empty space. He lifted the edge of the tarp, and peered underneath. There was a movement in his peripheral vision, and he half turned his head, the blow came from above and it connected with his skull somewhere behind his right ear, he pitched forward into the dark.

# # # # #

Beth looked up at the clock above the desk for the fifth – or was it _sixth_ time. He had been gone for over an hour. Sixty-seven minutes to be exact. She could picture that moment as the door swung shut behind him and he had disappeared from view.

_This is mad. He's years older than me. He's not my type. He's bossy and arrogant and.... You are totally falling for Stuart Turner.... no... that's impossible... and ridiculous. Well, ridiculous it may be, but not impossible._

She pictured herself laughing with him in the hallway, his face lit up, his brown eyes had taken on a happy sparkle, and he suddenly looked completely different. She decided she wanted to see that side of him again.

If only she knew where he was? She had a really bad feeling about it. She glanced up at the clock again. There was definitely something not right. She tried to calculate the distance to the address she had given Stuart. Twenty minutes... twenty five at the outside... even in traffic, even allowing for ten minutes messing around with Marks, he should have been back in twenty five minutes... may be thirty.

_Something's happened._

"Is something wrong, Beth?" She looked up. Stevie was standing over her, and Beth realised she had been frowning at the clock on the wall for a long time.

She blushed, and shook her head to cover her confusion. "No... I... er..." she glanced up at the clock again. _Seventy-one minutes._ Stevie was just turning away with a slight shake of her head. Beth dug down "DS Turner's rather overdue."

Stevie turned back, glanced up at the clock and shrugged. "Perhaps he stopped to get lunch on the way?" She shot a sideways look at Beth. "You think something different?"

Beth looked at the slightly sly question in Stevie's eyes, and swallowed, she didn't fancy getting teased about her sudden fondness for Stuart, but something had gone wrong she just knew it. "I just think Stu.... DS Turner should have been back by now." She inwardly cursed her slip.

Thankfully, Stevie pretended not to notice. "Well, we should go and find out then!"

# # # # #

Stuart came to slowly, his head pounding. He was lying face down on the ground, his left arm pinned beneath him. His left shoulder was throbbing in time to the malevolent little troll that was pounding away inside his skull. He groaned and tried to move his left arm, so that he could sit up, which was when he realised that something was very wrong with his shoulder. He awkwardly turned his head, realising that he had fallen over the edge of a stairwell and he'd done some major damage to his shoulder.

He groped for his phone with his right hand, clawing it out of his pocket, he tried to dial, but it was dark and he could barely see the numbers. Desperately he pressed the call button, and the phone cut out, he realised that he had no signal.

The step was two feet away. It might as well have been two hundred feet. Stubbornly, Stuart reached forward with his right arm, tried to gain purchase on the cold, slippery floor and pull himself over to the step.

The downside, he decided, when the waves of pain that shot through his left shoulder had died down to a few ripples, was that fate had not been kind enough to allow him to faint.

He hoped with some fervour that Beth had realised he was overdue and that they were instituting a search for him, because he needed help, and fast. It barely registered that the first person he thought of was Beth.

# # # # #

Beth's thumb was on the seatbelt release button before Stevie had fully rolled the Mondeo to a stop. She checked herself fiercely. Stuart wasn't her boyfriend or anything like that, so coming across as an anxious lover was a no-no.

Stevie noted Beth's almost reflexive action and permitted herself a small smile. Beth Green had a thing for Stuart Turner. The thing was, Stevie was almost certain that Stuart had something of a thing for Beth too. And... she had to admit to being just a little bit worried as to where he had got to, and why he hadn't communicated with anyone. Stevie's blood ran a little cold at the memory of Stuart's brush with death. He had nearly od'd in her arms, and clutch of fear that she had felt when he had stopped breathing had come back to remind her of things that she would very much rather forget.

Beth was already out of the car, Stevie recalled her mind to the present and the slightly more pressing problem of Stuart's whereabouts. Particularly when Beth pointed out the Toyota, half hidden by a panel fence. They turned their attention to the lock-up.

It was old and rather run-down, and when Beth pushed the door and it swung open, Stevie felt a shiver run up her spine.

They moved inside.

"Stuart." Beth called his name, forgetting rank and the fact of Stevie's presence. "Stuart."

"Here." His voice sounded weak and breathy, like he was hurt, and Beth ran towards the tarpaulin abandoned on the ground. She nearly pitched over the edge of the dark stairwell, catching herself just in time.

"STUART." She scrambled down the few steps, unheeding of Stevie behind her, and fell to her knees next to him. Stretching out a tentative hand towards him.

"It's my shoulder." Stuart hissed a little under his breath as Beth's very gentle hand touched him. He tried to make light of it, very aware of the glistening blue eyes that were looking back at him with anxious horror. "Help me sit up." As Stevie joined them.

Very carefully, they helped him into a sitting position, and Stuart tried very hard not to cry out as his left arm dangled at a strange angle. "I'll get an ambulance." Stevie got to her feet. Stuart was leaning on Beth, and suddenly the two of them were looking at each other like they were the last two people on earth.

Stevie left them and went to make a phone call.

# # # # #

Beth eased back against the wall, and let Stuart settle into her arms, carefully avoiding touching his left arm. She looked down, his head rested against her shoulder and upper arm, and he had closed his eyes.

Very gently she bent forward and brushed his lips with hers.


	5. Chapter 5

Stuart cuddled into the warm place in his bed, and tried not yelp as his bruised shoulder protested at his movement. St Hugh's had put it back, with minimal pain relief, then wrapped him up like a mummy, which didn't suit Stuart at all.

The feeling he had been fighting for days came back full force as Beth's lips brushed his in that miserable, cold, former factory. Suddenly whatever he had done to his shoulder really didn't matter, except for how much it was going to interfere with his plan.

The plan that included the beautiful little genie with the big blue eyes, and the soft lips. The one who had taken up residence somewhere in a corner of his heart. He had to have her in his life. He wanted her so badly he ached. He had sat on the hospital gurney and tried to listen to what the doctor was saying; conscious that Stevie was hovering in the background and that Beth was likely to stay away in that eventuality.

Then suddenly she was there, and not only in the room with him, she came up to the bed and took hold of his right hand, even though Stevie was standing there watching them. It was shift end, and she was staying, she said. And she had.

A pair of slender arms wound themselves lovingly around his neck, pulling him a little closer. Stuart turned, nudging his cheek into the palm of the hand which was now between his head and the pillow. He opened his eyes, and smiled lazily. "Hello" he whispered.

Beth eased her body right up to his, she was nose to nose with him as she whispered "Hello yourself..." as his arm slid slowly round her and their lips met.

His senses overwhelmed with the beautiful young woman in his arms, Stuart ignored the pain from his shoulder, and eased onto his back, lifting her, his right hand gently tangled in her silky black hair. This was the best feeling in the world he decided, the soft curves of her beautiful body pressed into his, the toes of her right foot playing a cheeky little ditty on the outside of his leg; the big blue eyes had a teasing light in them, but gentle, loving. Age had nothing to do with it, the soft loving gaze in Beth's eyes convinced him.

"I love you." For a moment he could scarcely believe it was his own voice. He'd never said that, well, said that and meant it; it was a surprise to discover that he did mean it.

The blaze of deeply felt emotion in Beth's eyes said it all. But when she put her hands to the side of his face, and leaned in, to whisper "Oh Stu..." as her lips met his, he could feel the sudden warmth of his tears as two hot streaks ran down his cheeks. Their lips parted as tongues entwined, and her tears merged with his.

They made long, hot, slow love together.

# # # # #

He awoke to an empty space beside him, and just for a moment he thought she had gone, then he realised that the clothing strewn across the floor was his and hers, except his navy blue shirt was missing. He relaxed. His shoulder was really throbbing, so he eased down in the bed, trying to pull the pillow under his shoulder to give it some support. He was still trying to get comfortable when the bedroom door opened and Beth reappeared, bearing a tray with hot drinks and juice.

"Stu?" she put the tray down on the bedside table and moved to his side of the bed, carefully positioning the pillow under his shoulder, "y'know, taking the sling off wasn't such a bright idea."

"I know," he eased down again, and winced as a sharp pain shot through his recently replaced shoulder.

"Well we're both on our forty eight," Beth slid back under the duvet, and cuddled up close, "plenty of time for some tlc" she whispered as she bent to kiss him.

"Is that a promise?"

"You bet it is."

Stu forgot the throbbing pain and concentrated on showing his beautiful little genie exactly how he felt about that.


	6. Chapter 6

"I think Beth would be ideal," Stevie shot a little sideways glance at Stuart as she spoke, noting the sudden stiffness in his posture. The dark eyes shot a really mean glance her way, and Stevie permitted herself a tiny smile. He was so easy to wind up, and it was all confirmation that her original guess was correct, Stuart Turner and Beth Green had a little something going on.

"Isn't she a little young?" Neil, cautious as ever.

"I don't see that as a problem," Max's offering was more enthusiastic "Beth's done a good job for us before," he nodded, "yes, she'd be great." Oblivious to the sudden tension radiating from his fellow sergeant.

"Erm... wouldn't it be better to go with someone... older, more experienced." Stuart tried to sound non-committal, even vague about it, but his stomach clenched in knots at the thought of Beth in proximity to the goons they were investigating.

He was beginning to regret his interest in Tom Marks. After he'd been carted off to St Hugh's with Beth and Stevie for company, Max, with Grace, Jo, Terry and Mickey and half of uniform had torn the abandoned warehouse apart. Signs that some kind of printing was going on, and that the place had been cleared in a hurry. Fingerprints had flashed up a couple of persons of considerable interest, including one Peter Mantle, dodgy nightclub owner and entrepreneur. There was an opening at his rather sleazy club for a barmaid/hostess, now Stevie had suggested Beth.

Stu had been replaced as SIO by Neil; just the once he really didn't care about not being in charge anymore, but now he had something more to worry about. Neil was nodding in agreement with Max.

_NOOOOOOOOO_. Stuart wanted to jump up and protect Beth, but that would be to invite questions that neither he nor Beth wanted to answer. But... he didn't want his girlfriend near Mantle.

Stevie chanced another glance at Stuart's rather white face, a nerve was jumping in his cheek, and suddenly she felt very guilty. It was one thing to play a little wind up game, but quite another to push Beth Green into a position which she might not be equipped to deal with. Stevie exchanged looks with Jo, who frowned.

"Guv, perhaps Stuart's right..." Stevie began. But Neil was shaking his head. "Beth came good on Monks," he looked for confirmation to Max, who grinned; "I'll put it before the DCI, but I think we have our team. PC Green on the ground, DS Carter as her handler. DS Turner co-ordinating from here." Manson pushed his chair back and got to his feet, signalling that the meeting was over.

Stuart was on his feet and through the door before Stevie could say anything. She was about to go after him, when Jo put her hand on Stevie's arm. "Better let me." Stevie nodded, she wasn't really up to bearding the tiger in his den, and Stuart looked very upset when he'd left.

# # # # #

Jo found him on the landing, his hands gripping the banister railing, he was staring off into space and he didn't look happy.

"Stuart." He shot her a quick look.

"Are you alright?"

He gave a slight shrug, and his right hand lifted to rub his left shoulder. Jo's eyes narrowed at that involuntary action, "Stu," she stepped forward "are you going to be alright?"

For a second she thought he wasn't going to answer her.

"No..."

"It's true... isn't it?" Jo was suddenly certain, "you and Beth?"

Stuart looked down at the floor. "Yes." He turned to his sometime partner and friend. "Suddenly she was just there in front of me." He gave a rueful smile.

Jo drew a slightly shaky breath "and now you don't want her going undercover."

"Does that sound selfish?"

"No." Jo patted his hand. "You care about her. You want her to be safe. That's not selfish."

Stuart smiled, "I do."

He straightened up and headed for the stairs, Jo smiled to herself and turned away, "Jo!" She looked back, "Thanks!" Stuart nodded, and continued down the stairs.

# # # # #

"Stu... someone will see us!" Beth protested with a giggle.

He backed into the tiny office, with a firm grip on her hand, tweaked the blinds closed, shut the door behind them.

"Well." She crossed her arms, and tried to convey annoyance, which wasn't really working, the smile on his face was doing funny things to her heart, and there was a slightly anxious look in his warm brown eyes. He dithered a bit.

"Stu?" Beth was puzzled.

Stu took a deep breath, _just do it_. He reached for Beth's left hand, reaching into his pocket with his free hand, he went down on one knee. "Bethany Green, will you marry me?"

Beth's eyes welled up as she reached for the diamond ring with trembling fingers. "Oh Stu..." she choked; completely overcome as she tried to get the word out. "Yes." She gasped. He got to his feet, took the ring and slid it onto her finger. Beth wrapped her arms around his neck and gave into her instincts.


	7. Chapter 7

Beth hitched her handbag's shoulder strap a little further up her shoulder, and faced the club across the street. The thumb of her left hand caressed the ring on her wedding finger gently, as though seeking reassurance. He loved her. Five weeks, and she had never been more certain of anything in her life.

Some nights she would lie awake next to him, and watch him sleep. Sometimes she would lean over and gently kiss him on the lips, he would smile in his sleep and cuddle closer. If she closed her eyes right now, she could feel his arms around her. She loved him.

She loved to hear him talk; occasionally, she would curl up, put her head on his lap and get him to read to her. _What do you want me to read?_ There would be laughter in his voice, but he wasn't laughing at her, she could share the joke, she would smile up at him _I don't know? The telephone directory?_ Then she found the perfect book, _The Lord of the Rings? He'd given her a strange look, "you love it," she'd folded her hands under her chin and looked up at him, "make me love it too..."_ He'd taken the volume from her hand and ruffled her hair with his free hand, "I love _you_, Beth Green... and you are so strange sometimes." He'd slumped down on his spine, and Beth had stretched out, her head in his lap. His free arm had curved firmly around her, and Beth had snuggled against him, her hand trapping his against her body. And he'd read to her.

She closed her eyes and drifted then, listening to the rise and fall of Stuart's voice, the pitch and tone as important as the actual words. Being with him was the most important thing in her life. Until Stuart, her life was barren; after Stuart her life would never be lonely again.

His ring on her finger. That was her talisman against the risks of what she was doing. It was beautiful. A simple, modern platinum setting, with a beautiful cushion solitaire. She'd said once that she loved Tiffany. When he'd dug in his pocket and produced the duck egg blue box with the white ribbon, she'd known. Understood exactly what he was trying to say.

This was forever. This was special.

Suddenly she really didn't want to go through with this, she knew Max was out there, watching over her, but the grim reality in front of her.... no... she had to go through with it. She wanted Stu to be proud of her.

She squared her shoulders and crossed the road, walked right up to the door, and rapped hard twice. It was only then she realised she was holding her breath. The door swung open and the unpleasant face of their top suspect appeared in front of her. "Can I help you?" His voice was oily, and Beth almost stepped back. There was something really horrible about the way his eyes travelled down her body, and when they lingered on the hem of her skirt she wished that she had chosen something longer... _head to foot covering... a burka even..._

"I've come about the job." Her voice sounded slightly high, and a little breathy; but he didn't seem to notice anything amiss, merely stepping back to allow her to pass. Not too far, she had to squeeze past him. He had an aroma that made her nose wrinkle, too much aftershave not quite doing the job of masking the aroma of sweaty socks.

# # # # #

Max Carter watched the door swing closed and Beth disappear from view. He dropped the binoculars on the passenger seat and made some quick notes in his pocket book. _Beth's in._ He radio'd back to the station.

# # # # #

_Beth's in._ Stuart raked an agitated hand through his short black hair. The very last place he wanted his fiancée was in that club, up close to a man like Mantle. The more digging Stu did, the less he liked what he saw. Beth was intelligent and brave, but she was being put in a very dangerous place and he wasn't happy.

The worst of it, he couldn't control his responses to the worry and stress, but he also had no pressure release valve. No one knew that he'd proposed, and it could place Beth in further danger if anyone found out.

Jo knew he was in love with Beth, but that wasn't telling her that they were engaged. Jo was his best friend and he trusted her, but he didn't want to chance the gossip.

He buried himself in his work; anything to keep from imagining the horrors she was going through in that place, anything might help her.

Stevie looked across at his desk opposite. He hadn't said a word to her since he'd left the briefing room in such a hurry. The expression on his face said _stay out of my way_, but Stevie didn't want to leave it.

"Stuart." No response. She took a deep breath and tried again. "Stuart."

He turned his head, and the cold look in his eyes stopped her in her tracks. "DC Moss."

Nervously she smiled. "Would you like a hand with that?" She indicated the pile of background check paperwork next to his elbow.

"No, thank you. I think I've got it under control." _Oh so polite, but so distant._ This wasn't the Stu who teased her, and she realised that she had made a big mistake. Now breaking the ice might be more than she could manage on her own, Stevie glanced across the desk at Jo. Jo sighed. That was Stevie all over, plunge in without thinking. Mostly things worked out fine, but this time...

Jo picked up a file and moved across to Stu's desk. "Stu, please cut Stevie a little slack, she didn't mean to cause Armageddon."

He looked awkward. "I know..."

Jo put the file down on his desk, "well just give Stevie less of a hard time."

"It's just... every time I think of Beth in that place."

Jo gently squeezed his shoulder. Stu stiffened, and she frowned. "Is there a problem?"

"No." He tried to divert her and Jo made a face. Stu sighed, "Okay, it's just that it's still tender." He admitted.

"Stu, it's been five weeks!" Jo gave him her best _concerned about his well-being_ stare. He shrugged awkwardly, "I'll go to the FME if it gets any worse; but Jo, I am still worried about Beth."

# # # # #

Beth got the job with ease. And rather wished that she hadn't. Mantle was even creepier than she had been briefed. Shaking hands with him to seal the deal, she was left with an even stronger feeling of the need to shower.

She was due to start that evening, if she hurried she could snatch a few moments with Stu before she had to go back. She picked up the pace, never noticing that she was being watched from the upper window.

# # # # #

Mantle turned away from the window. His new hostess was pretty, well dressed, but something was just a little off. A girl whose fiancé could afford a rock like that was unlikely to need a job in his establishment. He watched her out of sight, and then checked the cars parked up and down the street.

It was the fifth one on the left. A man in the driver's seat. _The police._ He smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

The club was hot and crowded, and Beth had really had enough. She cleared the glasses for the fourth time, carefully avoiding the many wandering hands that wanted to touch and grope her. Loaded up the dishwasher, poured the spill trays into the jug under the counter, mopped the bar and kept a wary eye out for Mantle.

There was something definitely off about the set up, but nothing she could positively point to, so she watched and waited.

# # # # #

Across the room, cold grey eyes watched and waited; and calculated. Mantle was experienced, he could spot the plant, and she was in way over her head. She gave herself away in a dozen little tells. He pondered how he could turn her inexperience to his advantage.

# # # # #

Stuart dropped his keys on the dining table and leafed quickly and disinterestedly through the few items of post. He dropped the two items that had to be answered onto the table and wandered into the kitchen.

Carefully removing his name and address from each piece of junk mail before binning it absorbed another three minutes. _If he was really lucky_, he thought sourly, _his paper shredder would have developed some kind of weird fault which would require his attention and he could perhaps waste a whole five minutes on the task._

His flat had been beautifully furnished, but austere, a single bloke's pad; now it was full of little feminine knick-knacks _and she's only lived here a week!_ He dropped the shredding on the kitchen work-top. It was no good. He was imagining all sorts of horrific things, and the sight of the little fluffy white teddy on his sofa did nothing to improve his mood.

Perhaps something to eat would help. He pulled open the fridge, and stared at some of the contents in confusion. Salad? Something fresh and healthy. He pushed the door shut. He was attached to his fingers, and the thought of having to chop things up in his current state of distraction didn't appeal.

He yanked open the freezer door and peered inside. Which was even less help, whereas five and a bit weeks ago his freezer contained neat stacks of lonely meals for one; now dinner for two was the dish of a day. Even zapping a meal for two in the microwave held no interest whatever. A reminder that she was at risk, out there alone and he wasn't allowed to protect her.

He turned to the wine rack and selected a bottle of red. Perhaps that would dull his senses sufficiently, he opened the bottle, picked up two glasses and the bottle and headed for the sofa. He slipped a cd into the sound system, kicked off his shoes, poured himself a very generous glass full, and put a glass aside for Beth. Guitar music filled the room and he slumped back down on the sofa. He downed the glass, and poured himself another, the sad eyes of the little teddy seemed to peer at him reproachfully.

The second glass slipped down equally quickly and he poured himself a third. He knew he wasn't entirely sober, but alcohol really wasn't blunting the feeling of helplessness. His Beth was out there, and he couldn't interfere, however badly he wanted to.

Mantle was a bad proposition, and Stuart had a nasty feeling that something wasn't quite right about it. Manson was pleased, Max, Stevie, Jo – all those in the know were saying that Beth was doing a good job, but Stu couldn't help worrying.

He couldn't do a damn thing about it. He poured himself another, blunting the edge of the pain was what counted. The pain of failure to protect.

He drank deep.

# # # # #

It was very late, and Beth scurried from the car to her front door. She was tired so she took the lift. She couldn't face the stairs.

Opening the front door, she immediately noticed that the sitting room lights were still on. She eased out of her shoes, and put her bag down on the side. Quietly she slipped up the stairs.

He was asleep on the sofa, his clothing a mess, an empty wine glass on its side on the floor. She sat down beside him. _Oh Stu, _his cheeks were flushed and he was clutching her little teddy bear. She bent over him and gently kissed him. He tasted of wine.

His hand slid up and his fingers gently tangled in her hair. Beth kicked off her shoes and stretched out next to him. Their clothing melted away and they made love with an urgency born of fear and need.


End file.
